Bates Numbering
Bates Numbering stamps a unique running identifier, such as ACME-000042, on every page of a PDF, for legal, records and audit work. Choose the prefix, the digits and where it goes. It runs in your browser, so the documents are never uploaded.
- Input
- One PDF
- Output
- One PDF with a Bates number on each page
- Runs
- In your browser. The file never leaves your device.
- Cost
- Free. No sign-up, no watermark.
Choose PDF files
or drop them here · up to 20 files
How to add Bates numbers to a PDF
Choose a PDF
Select the document to number. Client files stay on your device.
Set the number
Type a prefix such as ACME-, the number of digits (6 makes 000042) and the number to start from, and choose the corner.
Download and continue
The result shows the first and last number it wrote and what to start the next file on, so a set spread over several files keeps counting.
Identifiers that stay with the page
Prefix, digits and suffix
ACME-000042, 000042-CONF or just 42. Numbers are zero-padded to the length you choose, and you are told if the pages will not fit in it.
Continue across files
Add several PDFs at once and the numbers run on from one file to the next, or number them one at a time and carry on from the next number the result gives you.
Kept private
Documents under privilege are numbered in your own browser and never uploaded, which is the point of doing it yourself.
Upright in the corner
Six positions, top and bottom. The number is placed by how the page looks, so rotated scans get it in the right corner, readable.
Frequently asked questions
What is Bates numbering?
A unique identifier on each page of a document or set of documents, usually a prefix and a running number, so any page can be cited exactly. It is used in legal discovery, records management and audits.
How do I keep the sequence going across several PDFs?
Add all the files in one run, in the order you want them numbered: the numbers continue from the last page of one file to the first page of the next, and you get a ZIP. Or number them separately: the result tells you the next number, for example 43, and you type that as the first number for the next file. The prefix and digits stay the same.
Can I leave a cover page unnumbered?
Yes. Set "Start on page" to 2 and the first page is left as it is. Numbering then starts at your first number on page 2.
Can I add other text as well, such as CONFIDENTIAL?
Use Add Header and Footer for several pieces of text, or Add Watermark for a diagonal mark. You can run them one after another on the same file.
Are the numbers part of the page, or can they be removed?
They are drawn onto the page like any other text and can be edited out with an editor, so they show a page is yours rather than prove it is unaltered. For a simple running count without a prefix, use Add Page Numbers.
Is my file uploaded anywhere?
No. Bates Numbering runs entirely in your browser: the file is opened and processed on your own device and is never sent to our server. More in the privacy policy.
Is Bates Numbering free to use?
Yes. Bates Numbering is free, with no account to create and no software to install — open the page in a modern browser and start.